Sound mechanism for a balance device

ABSTRACT

A concave trough having a central notch is mounted to the pivoted shaft of a balance arm. A ball is located in the trough. A metal bell is mounted to the pivot supporting the pivoted shaft. The bell surrounds the trough with the inner surface of the bell being spaced less than a ball diameter from each end of the trough. Tilting of the balance arm causes the ball to become dislodged from the notch and strike the bell.

I Umted States Patent 11 1 1111 3,744,792 McClary et al. 1 July 10, 1973 [54] SOUND MECHANISM FOR A BALANCE 3,559,989 2/1971 Breslow 273/1 R DEVICE 3,589,723 6/1971 Glass 273/1 R 621,061 3/1899 Gay 46/174 X [75] ln entors: Jos ph C y, Nashville, 2,874,515 2/1959 Ford 46/175 R Tenn.; Jack Lewis Lemkin; Asa Lynn Donamson, both of Cincinnati i FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee: General Mills Fun Group Inc" 190,414 10/1907 Germany 77/46 Minneapolis, Minn. Primary Exammer-Anton O. Oechsle 1 Flledi y 6, 1971 Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro [2 Appl No; 140,933 Attorney-Anthony Guettner and L. Meroy Lillehaugen [52] U.S. Cl. 273/1 R, 116/152 [51] Int. Cl. A63f 9/00 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 273/1 R, l E; A concave trou h h g avlng a central notch 15 mounted to 116,155 177/4547 the pivoted shaft ofa balance arm. A ball is located in the trough. A metal bell is mounted to the pivot sup- [56] References cued porting the pivoted shaft. The bell surrounds the trough UNITED STATES PATENTS with the inner surface of the bell being spaced less than 1,300,737 4/1919 Kirk 116/74 a ball diameter from each end of the trough. Tilting of 3,188,089 6/1965 Odell et a1. the balance arm causes the ball to become dislodged 3,572,704 3/197] Glass 273/] E from the notch and strike the 680,888 8/1901 Roth'.... 687,855 12/1901 Roth 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENImJuumms 3.744792 suzzuurz ,FIZEZ r 1 W A; F1524- l l {I M 64/ ug I 1 72 i $3 I INVSNTORS I 48 JOSEPH MICHAEL MCCLARY BY JACK LEWIS LEMKIN A N ONALDSON A rroxwey SOUND MECHANISM FOR A BALANCE DEVICE The present invention relates to toys and games, and more particularly to a sound mechanism or device which can be used as part of a toy or game, especially by young children. The mechanism is constructed so that a sound is produced when a movable portion of the toy is moved beyond a predetermined point, relative to a fixed part of the toy.

Toys or games are ofttimes designed and constructed so that a sound is produced in response to the performance of some act. Such toys and games are generally used for amusement and entertainment purposes, although the educational and competitive aspects of such a toy or game must be borne in mind as well. Small children in particular, are especially fascinated and interested if a toy reacts in a certain way, in response to some action or performance on their part.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a novel and different toy or game device.

Another object is to provide a toy or game which is especially well suited for use by young children.

A further object is to provide a novel toy or game, especially adapted for use by young children, which produces a sound in response to some act being performed by the child.

A still further object is to provide a sound mechanism for use in a balance device, such balance device forming part of a game comprised of several components.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings. Before proceeding with a detailed description of the invention however, a brief description of it will be presented.

In general, the invention comprises a first support member, to which a second member is connected so that relative movement between the members can be obtained. A sound mechanism, which includes a metal bell, is secured to the first member in such a manner that when the second member is moved relative to the first member beyond a prescribed point, an object is caused to strike the bell and produce a ringing sound. In one form of toy or game, an elongated balance arm is pivotally connected to a support member. One or more weighted objects when placed on the ends of the balance arm by opposing players in accordance with instructions provided by a spinner device, cause the arm to pivot about a support. As long as the arm is somewhat balanced, no alarm, i.e., ringing of the bell, occurs; if the arm becomes unbalanced by a prescribed amount however, the bell is caused to ring.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the following drawings, wherein;

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view which illustrates the invention when used as a component of a game;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view, with parts broken away, which depicts the back of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial perspective view, illustrating part of a sound producing system in greater detail.

FIG. 1 illustrates the invention when used as part of a game which includes a balance device designated generally by numeral 10, a chance device or spinner mechanism 12, and a plurality of chips or weights 14. The balance device includes a vertically oriented first member or support member 16 having front and back surfaces 20 and 22 respectively, and a second member or balance arm 18 which is pivotally connected to the support member 16 so that when balanced, its longitudinal axis is normally in a somewhat horizontal position. A base member 36, secured to the bottom of the support member 16, maintains the member 16 vertically oriented (note FIG. 3).

As illustrated, the device is shaped so that it has a human-like configuration. The support member 16 comprises the head 24, the feet 26, and the torso 28, while the balance arm 18 constitutes the shoulders 30, the arms 32, and the hands 34. For decorative purposes, openings 38 and 40 are provided in the head portion of the support member for the eyes and mouth respectively. The eye balls and tongue on the other hand, are provided on a portion of the balance arm 18, so that relative movement of the eyes and mouth results when the arm is moved. A cup or dish 42 is secured to each hand 34. It must be understood of course, that a variety of other shapes and configurations could be used as well, and that the particular configuration disclosed is merely for illustrative purposes.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the balance arm 18 is provided with an enlarged, somewhat circular portion or member 44, from which the shoulders 30 and arms 32 project. The member 44 is provided with a circular opening 46, which is surrounded by a somewhat tapered sleeve 48, which projects from the back surface of the member 44 so that it is normal to that surface. The opening 46 is somewhat offset with respect to the center of the circular portion; moreover, the center of gravity of the balance arm is positioned directly below the opening 46, so that the arm is normally in a state of equilibrium, i.e., balanced condition. The balance arm is substantially symmetrical about the opening 46, as viewed from left to right in FIG. 2.

The support member 16 is provided with a hollow, tapered shaft 50 which projects from the back surface 22 of the support member so that it is normal to the surface 22. The dimensions of the shaft 50 are such that the balance arm 18 can be readily mounted on the shaft.

A sound mechanism, designated generally by numeral 52, is provided for producing a sound when the balance arm 18 is tilted beyond a prescribed amount, about the axis of the shaft 50. The alarm mechanism includes a bowl-shaped metal bell 54, and structure for striking the bell and causing it to ring. The bell 54 is secured to the support member 16, and more specifically the projecting end of the shaft 50, by means of a rivet 56, so that it surrounds or covers the shaft 50, the sleeve 48, and the opening 46 in the balance arm. As shown, part of the rivet 56 is positioned within the hollow portion 58 of the shaft 50. The depth of the bell 54 is such that its edge or rim 60 is spaced from the balance arm 18 by a small distance.

An elongated trough 62 is secured to the back surface 64 of the balance arm 18, so that it is horizontally aligned when the arm is in a balanced condition, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. The trough 62 is provided with a lip or edge 66 which surrounds the trough. A metal ball 68 is positioned within the trough 62, and it is permitted to roll along the longitudinal axis of the trough. A notch or groove 70 is formed in the bottom surface 72 of the trough at its midpoint, so that it is directly above the axis of the shaft 50; the ball 68 normally rests within this notch when the arm 18 is balanced. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the bottom surface'72 of the trough slopes slightly toward the notch 70, (on both sides) so that the ball 68 has a tendency to roll toward the notch, unless the arm is pivoted in one direction. It might be pointed out, that if preferred, either the notch or the sloping bottom surface might be eliminated. The ends 74 of the trough 62 terminate proxi mate the inner surface of the bell 52, so that the distance between the ends and the bell is smaller than the diameter of the ball 68. This prevents the ball 68 from leaving the area above the trough 62, regardless of the orientation of the arm 18.

As depicted in FIG. 2, when the balance arm 18 is in a state of equilibrium, the ball 68 rests in the notch 70. As the balance arm is caused to pivot in one direction beyond a certain point, the ball 68 is caused to roll out of the notch 70 toward one of the ends 74 of the trough. As it reaches the end of the trough, it strikes the bell 54, thus causing it to ring. By returning the arm 18 to its normal position, the ball 68 is caused to roll back into the notch 70.

The chance device or spinner mechanism 12 is a generally conventional type device, which includes a circular disc or plate 76 and a spinner 78 rotatably mounted thereon. The disc is divided into a number of sectors 80; each sector having from to 5 indicia 82 thereon. The spinner mechanism 12 provides instructions as to what action is to be taken, while the game is being played.

In one form of game played with the structure described, a number of equal weights or chips 14 are divided between two players; and each player selects one of the cups 42. After a player has been selected to play first, he rotates the spinner 78. He then follows the instructions on the sector where the spinner points, and places the designated number of chips 14 in his cup. This of course, causes the balance arm 18 to pivot about shaft 50. After completing his turn, the other player rotates the spinner 78 and likewise follows the instructions on the sector where the spinner points. As the chips 14 are placed in the cups 42, by opposing players, the balance arm 18 oscillates or pivots about the axis of the shaft 50. Eventually, one of the players will cause the balance arm to pivot far enough so that the ball rolls out of the notch toward one of the ends 74, thus striking the bell 54. At this point, the player either wins or loses the game, depending upon the rules decided upon before the game begins.

While the sound mechanism 52 has been described in conjunction with a balance toy, it must be realized that the mechanism might readily be incorporated in other types of toys and games where a ringing sound is desired; a pull-type toy for example, might incorporate such a sound mechanism. Moreover, the balance toy described herein might be used by a single player as an educational device for example, to teach a child the principles of balance, or simply to teach him how to count in response to instructions on the spinner mechanism 12.

The above described invention results in a unique and different sounding mechanism, particularly well adapted for use in a balance type toy. When used in this capacity, the toy creates excitement when used as part of a game between opposing players. As the balance arm pivots about the axis of its support shaft, in response to weight being applied to the ends of the arm, a contest develops between opposing players as to which one will eventually cause the sound mechanism to be activated. Under certain circumstances, thev arm might oscillate or pivot for quite some time before the sound mechanism is activated, under other conditions, the game may end quite rapidly. The results of the game are totally unpredictable in advance, and since the amount of weight to be added by each player depends upon the spinner mechanism, no particular skill is required to play the game; thus, the game is particularly well suited for very young children.

In the above description and attached drawings, a disclosure of the principles of this invention is presented together with some of the embodiments by which the invention may be carried out.

Now, therefore, we claim:

1. A sound mechanism suitable for use in toys and games comprising a first member, a second member movably connected to said first member, a metal bell, means for operatively connecting said bell to the first member, and means for causing the bell to ring when the second member is caused to move relative to the first member, said means including an elongated trough, means for attaching said trough to the second member so that at least one of its ends is proximate the surface of the bell, said trough being substantially horizontally aligned, said bell being positioned over said trough, a metal ball positioned within said trough for movement along the longitudinal axis of said trough, means for preventing the ball from becoming separated from the sound mechanism, said means for preventing the ball from separating from the sound mechanism in cluding said bell, said one end of the trough terminating proximate the inner surface of the bell, the distance between said bell and the trough end being smaller than the diameter of the ball, a notch in the bottom surface of said trough for retaining said ball, said notch being positioned midway between the ends of the trough, and the bottom surface of the trough on both sides of the notch slopes toward said notch.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second member is pivotally connected to the first member, and it must be pivoted a prescribed amount before the ball is caused to roll out of the notch.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the first member constitutes a vertically oriented support member, the second member constitutes an elongated balance arm which is connected at its midpoint to the support member so that it is pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis, and the means for causing the bell to ring operates in response to pivotal movement of the balance arm by a prescribed amount.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the device is suitable for use as part of a game, and chance means are provided for instructing players of the game in what manner the game is to be played, said chance means including a spinner mechanism rotatably mounted on a flat surface having a plurality of markings thereon. 

1. A sound mechanism suitable for use in toys and games comprising a first member, a second member movably connected to said first member, a metal bell, means for operatively connecting said bell to the first member, and means for causing the bell to ring when the second member is caused to move relative to the first member, said means including an elongated trough, means for attaching said trough to the second member so that at least one of its ends is proximate the surface of the bell, said trough being substantially horizontally aligned, said bell being positioned over said trough, a metal ball positioned within said trough for movement along the longitudinal axis of said trough, means for preventing the ball from becoming separated from the sound mechanism, said means for preventing the ball from separating from the sound mechanism including said bell, said one end of the trough terminating proximate the inner surface of the bell, the distance between said bell and the trough end being smaller than the diameter of the ball, a notch in the bottom surface of said trough for retaining said ball, said notch being positioned midway between the ends of the trough, and the bottom surface of the trough on both sides of the notch slopes toward said notch.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second member is pivotally connected to the first member, and it must be pivoted a prescribed amount before the ball is caused to roll out of the notch.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the first member constitutes a vertically oriented support member, the second member constitutes an elongated balance arm which is connected at its midpoint to the support member so that it is pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis, and the means for causing the bell to ring operates in response to pivotal movement of the balance arm by a prescribed amount.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the device is suitable for use as part of a game, and chance means are provided for instructing players of the game in what manner the game is to be played, said chance means including a spinner mechanism rotatably mounted on a flat surface having a plurality of markings thereon. 